Pink is a divisive colour. It took a while for us to get behind “millennial pink”, until we realised how flattering it was to wear; many of us had to shake off an aversion to its overt girliness. This season, beauty is coming up roses. And while that’s nothing new for spring, the specific shade is striking: think “ashes of roses”, a warm, dusty off-pink that’s faded, low-key and somehow vintage – remember Meggie’s dress in The Thorn Birds? See Little Greene’s Ashes of Roses paint shade for reference.

When it comes to perfume, too, you either love rose or hate it. Tom Ford is championing the rose this spring with his new Rose Garden trio of scents. Rose de Chine, the colour of Whispering Angel rosé, has a delicacy and lightness. While Ford’s line-up already features a strikingly modern rose – the full-blown Rose Prick, a no-holds-barred intoxication of roses – the three new fragrances are more subtle. We’re also wearing Radical Rose by Matière Première (¤195, at Parfumarija), which is certainly not a wallflower – it’s a master perfumer’s blistering overdose of rose absolute that’s fabulously intense. And Grasse-born perfumer Michel Almairac, creator of the powdery rose Chloé perfume, is behind L’Atelier Parfum Coeur de Petales, a rose that’s all about lightness and joy: bright bergamot is paired with fruity lychee and raspberry (try the collection for €20 via www.latelierparfum.com). For me, the great partner for rose is patchouli, epitomised by Cloon Keen’s much-copied Róisín Dubh. And The Burren Perfumery’s beautiful, all-natural Wild Rose eau de parfum is a breath of fresh rose that will convert any sceptic.

MAC may be best-known for their hottest of hot reds, but nearly half (48 per cent) their lipstick sales over the past three years have been pink shades. Try something like Can You Tell?, a beige-pink with a bit of a sheen. Though some occasions call for a banging fuchsia – Nars’ Schiap is a celebratory shade of nearly neon brightness – a subtle, lip-nourishing pink is looking more modern right now. Whenever I see a picture of Belfast actress Caitriona Balfe, she’s wearing a soft, off-pink rose lip shade that’s infinitely flattering against her chocolate-brown hair. This spring we’re moving on from mattes in favour of a really balmy natural look – definitely no harsh lines or painted-on precision. And the balmy texture is more forgiving. On Tom Ford’s SS22 catwalk (main picture), lips were the softest peachy-pink, a blend of Lip Colour Matte in Equus and Pussycat. Chanel’s ready-to-wear look championed a sunkissed glow, while spring shades for nails include Terra Rossa (€27), a flattering off-pink. Even the Baume Essentiel comes in a limited-edition rosy shade this season.